11 soldiers killed in Ifugao ambush

MANILA, Philippines - Eleven soldiers, including an Army captain, and a civilian were killed while three others were wounded in an ambush by communist New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in a remote village in Ifugao province yesterday.

The military said the convoy of soldiers led by Lt. Col. Eugene Batarra of the Army’s 86th Infantry Battalion was attacked by the rebels in Gumhang, Tinoc town. The soldiers were on their way to their headquarters in Kiangan.

Batarra and several of his men survived the attack. However, his

battalion operations officer Capt. Seigfred Kafilas was among those killed.

“This is considered one of the most daring attacks by the NPA in this area in recent years,” he said.

Regional military spokesman Col. Miguel Puyao identified the other slain soldiers as S/Sgt. Torres, Cpl. Lazaro, Pfc. Salud, Pfc. Lakitero, Pfc. Veloria, Pfc. Dawaton, Pfc. David. Pfc. Naliw, Pfc. Lorenzo, and one Pfc. Sanadan who later died in hospital.

A civilian identified as Aimee Labug was also killed while Jefferson de la Cruz was among the wounded, along with Lt. Nabatias and Pfc. Lopez. It was learned that Labug and De la Cruz were civilian members of the Army brass band.

The Army’s 5th Infantry Division’s Civil Military Operations officer Col. Miguel Puyao said the soldiers had just come from a turnover ceremony in Tinok town when they were ambushed by the rebels.

Puyao said the soldiers managed to fight back, triggering a firefight that lasted until noon yesterday. An Air Force helicopter provided air cover for the troops.

The same helicopter later evacuated the wounded soldiers to the hospital.

It was not immediately known if the NPA suffered casualties during the counterattack.

“All is still fluid as to the progress of the encounter. We still have to receive confirmed information about (supposed) casualties,” Puyao said.

Reports said pursuit operations are ongoing against the rebels, who were believed to be part of the same group led by a certain Arthur Talastas that government forces encountered in Mountain Province four days ago when six rebels were killed.

Armed Forces spokesman Col. Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos condemned the attack.

“We condemn in the strongest terms the treacherous attack on our troops, who were just doing their job in securing and serving the people,” Burgos said.

“We will exhaust all measures to bring the perpetrators before the bar of justice,” he added.

The government last year claimed it had decimated the NPA ranks in the northern mountain regions due to successes on the battlefield and effective community work that turned villagers against the rebels.

Across the Philippines, the military said the NPA has dwindled to just over 4,000 fighters as of 2011 from over 26,000 at the peak of its strength in the 1980s.

The government had opened peace talks with the communists but negotiations reached an impasse in November after Manila rejected rebel demands to free 18 jailed guerrillas the NPA said were consultants to its negotiating team.

The rebels have since vowed to step up attacks against the military and vital government installations.

A major rebel action last year involved about 200 guerrillas who attacked three mining sites in Mindanao.

The NPA claimed the attacks were payback for years of alleged environmental damage and abuse by the miners, but the military said it was carried out to force companies to pay “revolutionary taxes.” – Charlie Lagasca, Artemio Dumlao, AP